Solar Plane Completes Second-to-Last Leg of Cross-Country Trip

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A solar-powered airplane successfully completed the
second-to-last leg of its historic cross-country journey on
Sunday (June 16), after flying from Cincinnati to Washington,
D.C.

The plane, called Solar
Impulse, left Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport at 10:11
a.m. EDT on Saturday (June 15), and landed at Washington Dulles
International Airport Sunday morning at 12:15 a.m. EDT. The
flight lasted just over 14 hours, with the aircraft traveling at
an average ground speed of 31 mph (50 km/h), according to company
officials.

Solar Impulse co-founder and Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard was at
the controls for the flight from Cincinnati to Washington, D.C.
Piccard and Solar Impulse's other co-founder, André Borschberg,
have alternated piloting the single-seater plane on its
coast-to-coast expedition, which kicked off in California on May
3.

"[W]ith the successful completion of these last four U.S.
flights, we have shown that we are capable of coping with
challenging meteorological conditions for our weather-sensitive
plane and for our ground operations, and that we could find each
time the right solutions to move forward," Borschberg said in a
statement.

Solar Impulse is the first airplane capable of flying day and
night without using any fuel. The plane, which is powered
entirely by solar panels and onboard batteries, generates about
the same amount of power as a small scooter, company officials
have said.

Solar Impulse's record-setting cross-country journey is part of
an initiative called "Clean Generation," which aims to promote
clean technologies and
sustainable energy solutions.

The Solar Impulse crew will now spend at least a week in the
nation's capital, participating in various public outreach
events. Company officials are also expected to conduct a
roundtable meeting with U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz
later today.

In early July, Solar Impulse will complete the final leg of its
journey by flying from the nation's capital to New York City.
Flight officials have yet to set a departure date, but will
continue to monitor weather conditions, company representatives
said in a statement.

Each leg of
Solar Impulse's flight is being streamed live online, and
features up-to-date information on the aircraft's position,
altitude and speed. The live feed also includes views inside the
airplane's cockpit, and from Solar Impulse's mission control
center in Switzerland.